The State Mill and Elevator had higher third-quarter sales but slightly lower profits, the mill's manager says.

Profits for the quarter were $1.3 million, which was down about $67,300 from the same quarter a year ago, mill manager Vance Taylor told the state Industrial Commission on Tuesday. Sales for the this year's third quarter were $39.9 million, up from $31.9 million a year ago, he said.

Taylor said the state-owned Grand Forks mill and elevator had to ship more wheat in by rail, which affected profits.

The number of wheat acres has declined, Taylor said.

"The decline in the overall wheat acres in the state is a trend that definitely that we don't want to see," Taylor said.

-Associated Press